A few points of information from our friends at the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program for the upcoming flu season.

• The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated.
• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
• While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the viruses that research suggests will be most common.
• Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as the current season’s vaccines are available.
• Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
• Vaccination are important for people at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
• Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to them.
• Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for infants should be vaccinated instead.
Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.